


In the Dark

by you_idjits



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Cas and Dean are grumpy assholes, In an elevator, M/M, cavity-inducing fluff, stuck in a power outage together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2014-10-13
Packaged: 2018-02-20 23:13:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2446625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/you_idjits/pseuds/you_idjits
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of all the times to get stuck in an elevator, he has to get stuck with Cas. Cas, the grumpiest, rudest, hottest asshole in the building. Like, seriously, are the karma gods just fucking with Dean now?</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Dark

Of all the times to get stuck in an elevator, he has to get stuck with Cas. Cas, the grumpiest, rudest, ~~hottest~~ asshole in the building. Like, seriously, are the karma gods just fucking with Dean now?

And the elevator isn’t just stuck – it’s stuck during a power outage. Plunging Dean and Cas into pitch-black darkness.

“Is this a joke?” Dean snaps, when he realizes the elevator isn’t moving anymore.

“It must be the whole building, Cas says in that awful, whisky-and-gravel voice of his. Goddammit. That voice. It’s so much harder to handle in the darkness.

“Yeah, no shit,” Dean says. He slumps against the wall, tucks his knees up to his chest.

“I guess we’re gonna be here a while.” Cas is still standing, stock-still, in the middle of the elevator. Dean can’t even hear him breathe.

“Fan-fucking-tastic.” Dean puts his head in his hands.

There’s a tense silence, and then Dean hears the rustling of clothes. Cas sits down across the elevator from him, as far away as is physically possible in the small space. Of course. The dude can’t fucking stand him.

More silence. Dean taps his foot a couple of times, just for something to do, but it’s awkward.

“So,” he says finally, “you, uh, got a cell phone on you or anything? I left mine upstairs.” He was just headed down to the basement for a laundry exchange. The elevator’s caught between floors seven and eight, a tantalizing two floors from Dean’s apartment.

Cas sighs. “I forgot to charge mine.” Dean gets the feeling he does that a lot.

“I’m, uh, Dean, by the way. I live-”

“I know who you are,” Cas says automatically. Then, more gently, “You made me pie when I moved in.”

Dean’s surprised he remembers. “Yeah, well, that’s what you do for new tenants.” Cas had stared at him, taken the pie, and slammed the door in his face. Didn’t exactly make Dean feel appreciated. He’d put effort into that pie.

Not that he’d ever admit it now, with how much Cas hates him, but he’d kinda thought Cas was cute at first. He’d kinda been hoping Cas would invite him inside, maybe they’d chat, and Dean could… ask him out for drinks. Or something.

He shakes his head at the memory. He’s been one hell of an idiot.

Out of the blue, and after several long minutes of silence, Cas says, “I liked it. The pie. It was very nice.”

Dean grunts some kind of approval. He doesn’t want to talk about that goddamn pie.

“My brother Gabriel,” Cas continues without prompting, “he has a sweet tooth. He suggested I ask you to make me another.””

“Yeah?” Dean asks gruffly. “So why didn’t you?”

There’s a pause. Dean feels like he’s on the edge of something, something that could tip either way. Cas says, “You- ah, you’re not very approachable.”

“ _I’m_ not very approachable?” Dean laughs, the sound hollow in the dark elevator. “Dude, like you have the right to say that.”

“What do you mean?”

Dean bites down on his lip, hard. “It’s just- nevermind. Forget I said anything.”

“Okay,” Cas says, and they’re back to uneasy silence.

Except this is really hard for Dean. He’s been trying to ignore the building pressure on his chest, but the elevator is really small and stagnant and-

“Fuck,” he says, raggedly, and rubs a hand over his face.

“Are you okay?” Cas asks, with soft concern in his voice. Dean wouldn’t have expected that from him.

“I’m fine,” Dean says, probably a little harsher than he needs to. Cas goes still. “Sorry,” Dean tries. “I’m just not one for small spaces.”

“Oh,” Cas says. “Is there anything I can do?”

“Nah,” Dean says. He swallows the lump in his throat. “I, um, I was in Afghanistan for a couple of tours, and I- it’s just-”

“You don’t have to explain yourself, Dean,” says Cas, and Dean thinks he’s never felt so relieved.

He tries not to let it get to him. He focuses on being here, with Cas, in this elevator in his apartment building in Lawrence, Kansas. But it keeps slipping away from him, like water through his fingers.

His breathing goes haywire, and then Cas is shifting, moving across to sit by his side. Unwarranted, Cas takes Dean’s hands in his and rubs slow, smooth circles on Dean’s palms.

It helps. Dean tries to say so, muttering, “Thanks, man. That, uh-”

“I have an anxiety disorder,” Cas explains. Oh- _oh_. Dean didn’t know that about him. Well, of course he didn’t – they’ve only talked a handful of times. Cas always frowns and squints at him in the hallway. They’re not friends.

Dean doesn’t know what to say, but apparently neither does Cas. He pushes away again, scoots back to his side of the elevator. As Dean’s eyes adjust to the darkness, he can just make out the shape of Cas’s profile.

“Do you, um, do you not like me or something?” Dean asks – after the five minutes of silence in which he works up the nerve to do so. “’Cause I’ve been trying to figure it out for a while now, and-”

“What are you talking about?” Good God, he actually sounds confused by the idea.

“You slammed the door in my face, dude. When I brought you that pie. What was I supposed to think?”

“I did?” Cas asks. He makes an embarrassed noise. “Oh. That was not my intention. I was, um, surprised. You’re very good-looking.”

So he didn’t mean to- wait. Did Cas just say what Dean thinks he just said?

No, no, that can’t be right. Cas never talks to him. Cas doesn’t like him. It’s obvious.

There’s a pause, and Cas takes a breath like he wants to say more. “Dean, I don’t dislike you. I actually, well, I actually feel quite the opposite.”

It takes a moment to sink in. “Oh. That’s. I mean. So you- okay.”

He stands up, because suddenly this elevator seems even smaller than before.

“I thought _you_ didn’t like _me_ ,” says Cas.

“Jesus, Cas, why would you think that?”

“Because you’re- well, you. You’re funny and handsome and you bring lots of men and women back to your apartment. I only live three doors down, you know. You’re rather – er – loud.”

Dean can feel heat rise to his cheeks, and he’s glad for the darkness. “Yeah, but I mean, you’re you too.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Now Cas is back on his feet too.

“Well, you’re, y’know, really attractive – in an intimidating sort of way, I guess – and you’ve got that voice and that damn ugly trench coat and-”

-And Cas is crossing the elevator and pushing himself into Dean’s space, kissing him with an open mouth. His breath is hot and his lips are soft and oh, Dean tilts his head, angles closer, pushes up into the kiss. Cas has stubble and he tastes like black coffee and something else, something Dean likes, something he can’t get enough of. An ache builds in his chest, but it’s a good ache this time. He slides his hands up under Cas’s jacket. He tugs out the back of Cas’s shirt and splays his hands against warm, warm skin. Cas pushes closer, pushes himself between Dean’s open legs, and man, is it good. Maybe better than pie.

When they break apart, pink-cheeked and out of breath, Dean knocks his forehead against Cas’s. “Do you, uh, do you want to go out for drinks sometime?” he asks. Better late than never.

“I’d like that,” says Cas, and that’s when the power comes back on.

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted on [tumblr](http://shootingstarcas.tumblr.com/post/99860532105/the-one-where-cas-and-dean-get-stuck-in-an)


End file.
